Biological Safety

culture The Office of Research Safety puts a high priority on supporting research in the life sciences. This support includes ensuring that the research labs maintain a safe working environment and follow all the applicable standards, regulations and guidelines. The Biological Safety Officer (BSO), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the Occupational Safety Nurse and the Hazardous Waste Officer combine their efforts to attain these goals to the highest degree possible.

There are many organizations that have standards, regulations or guidelines that pertain to work with biological agents. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has standards that govern workplace safety including the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard that requires universal precautions. The National Institute of Health (NIH) publishes guidelines that govern certain types of biological research, most importantly the use of recombinant DNA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes guidelines to be used to promote safe work in all biological research labs. The Department of Transportation (DOT) / International Air Transport Association (IATA) has regulations that govern the shipping of biological materials.